London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Hammersmith 1967

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hammersmith Borough]

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Milk Supplies
There are two large processing depots situated in the Borough, each with its own private
siding enabling it to receive milk by rail and from the country.
Raw milk is brought to these depots daily in rail tanks of 3,000 gallons capacity and also
in road tankers, each holding the same amount. Milk is collected from the farms and bulked at
creamery centres in the dairying areas and, after preliminary tests, is despatched to the processing
and distributing depots. A large quantity of milk is also received at these depots in churns
direct from the farms. The two depots handle altogether about 180,000 gallons of milk per day.
There are nine "High temperature - short time" pasteurising plants in which the milk is heated to,
and retained at, a temperature of 161°F for 15 seconds, and is then cooled to below 50°F in accordance
with the requirements of the Milk (Special Designation) Regulations, 1960-1963. There are
also a number of ovens for the production of sterilised milk.
Some of the milk is distributed in churns after pasteurising, about 12,000 gallons is sterilised
in bottles, and the remainder is bottled or filled into cartons after pasteurisation. At one
of these depots extensive cartoning of milk is now carried out and a variety of types of carton are
filled for supply by retail sale, especially in milk vending machines.
At regular intervals the Food 8t Drugs Inspector checks the efficiency and working temperature
of the processing plants and takes samples to ensure that they comply with the requirements
of the Milk (Special Designation) Regulations, 1960-63. All samples taken from these milk plants
were reported to be satisfactory. 184 inspections were made in connection with the processing
of milk and, generally, the premises were found to be satisfactory.
231 persons were on the register of milk distributors at the end of the year.

The following number of licences under the Milk (Special Designation) Regulations, 1960-1965, were in force at the end of the year.

Pasteurised230
Sterilised203
Untreated58
Ultra Heat Treated31

54 samples of designated milk were taken from milk processing plants,under the Regulations,
and from distributors and automatic vending machines. These samples were submitted for the
Phosphatase, Methylene Blue and Turbidity tests, the results of which are set out below:-
Class of
Milk
No.
Tested
Phosphatase
Tests
Methylene
Blue Tests
Turbidty
Tests
Passed
Failed
Passed
Failed
Passed
Failed
Pasteurised 49 49 - 49 -
Sterilised 5
No samples were submitted for Brucella Abortus check.
Markets
There are seven market sites in the Borough, three of which are street sites where traders
operate from approved pitches. The site in North End Road is the largest of these and, because
of the intensity of traffic along the road, the problems connected with the carrying on of trading
are more than one would normally meet in such circumstances. The adequate collection of waste,
the maintenance of personal cleanliness and of clean and tidy condition around the stalls, the
restocking of stalls during trading; all are problems which tend to make trading conditions of a
lower standard than one would hope to achieve. During the year, in the light of new legislation,
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